This research interrogates the translation of ideas from architecture to jewellery, through the design and production of contemporary jewellery. Necessarily this interdisciplinary focus has two contexts; contemporary jewellery and the architectural world from which ideas are translated. The practitioner comprises the third element, determining the way in which ideas are interpreted and expressed. The aims of this research are to define and locate architectonic jewellery and through practice to contribute to this field.

The Rationale and contextual review (chapter2), locates architectonic jewellery as a sub-genre of contemporary or studio jewellery; positioned as a strand of Modernist jewellery emergent from a Constructivist tradition, parallels are drawn to the American Modernist movement. The identification of three strands (abstract, interpretive and figurative), within architectonic jewellery explore this translation of ideas from one discipline to another. The contextual review was instrumental in the identification of the positioning of the practice-based research. The method decided upon for the design of jewellery was through response to a selected architectural exemplar.

The Role of architectural theory (chapter3), details the architectural context and understanding gained of the main exemplar, Therme Vals, Graubunden, Switzerland by architect Peter Zumthor. Associated with the Swiss Essentialists and continuing in a Modernist tradition, the origins and philosophical underpinning of this architecture were established. An investigation into Phenomenology provided a fundamental understanding of architecture, a means to observe and articulate the act of experiencing (in responding to an architectural site) and altered the dimensions of material consideration in the design process.

Idea development (chapter4), documents the development of ideas in the self-reflexive practice. The design process is explained in chronological order. The establishment of selection criteria for architecture initiated this iterative development. The three phases of response to the architectural exemplar are discussed, each phase resulting in the analysis of design and the alteration of the selection criteria. Phase one responded to Juha Leiviska’s Myyrmaki Church through secondary sources. Phase two, to the Burrell collection and Phase three to Therme Vals. All three investigations responded purely to the visual language of the architecture. Phase three comprises of two site visits to Therme Vals, the second of which was preceeded by research into the architectural theory and Phenomenology as discussed in Chapter 3. The research process culminated in the design of works in response to the second visit to Therme Vals.

This practice-based research positions architectonic jewellery and through the design process establishes a new paradigm that uses phenomenology as an interpretive tool.